“I started laughing because I thought they were joking,” said Huennekens, 33. “I think it's neat.”

“I thought I was going to go to the grocery store on my way home, and here I am.”

Grayson was not due until Jan. 9, his mother said.

But she struggled with blood-pressure issues and her physician, Dr. Seaborn Hunt in Ocala, was concerned, Huennekens added.

Huennekens said she had been at Munroe Regional last week for some tests because of that and then was following up earlier this week. When the problem seemed to persist, her doctor opted to induce labor.

“I was panicky because I wasn't ready. I wanted to have him naturally,” she said.

It wasn't clear that Grayson would be the first baby of the new year. Huennekens said her doctor induced labor at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“It was a long night,” she said.

Huennekens, a single mother from Belleview, said she learned she would have a son when she was about 18 weeks pregnant.

She came across the name Grayson in a baby book, and stuck with it because she liked the sound of it.

Grayson has three older brothers: Cody, 16; Ryan, 12; and Brayden, 2.

Grayson's birth was the start of a busy New Year's Day at Munroe Regional.

Within 12 hours of his arrival, a total of six babies, including Grayson, had been delivered at the hospital, spokesman Ryan Gerds said.

<p>Rebecca Huennekens went to her doctor on Tuesday for a routine check up.</p><p>Given that her baby was not due for another 10 days, she still didn't think much more of it when she got sent to Munroe Regional Medical Center that day for some additional monitoring.</p><p>But on Wednesday, Huennekens was recovering in the hospital's fourth-floor maternity ward, the proud mother the first baby born in Marion County in 2014.</p><p>Grayson Reid Huennekens — all 7 pounds, 6 ounces of him — arrived at 3:40 a.m. Wednesday, hospital officials said.</p><p>“I started laughing because I thought they were joking,” said Huennekens, 33. “I think it's neat.”</p><p>“I thought I was going to go to the grocery store on my way home, and here I am.”</p><p>Grayson was not due until Jan. 9, his mother said.</p><p>But she struggled with blood-pressure issues and her physician, Dr. Seaborn Hunt in Ocala, was concerned, Huennekens added.</p><p>Huennekens said she had been at Munroe Regional last week for some tests because of that and then was following up earlier this week. When the problem seemed to persist, her doctor opted to induce labor.</p><p>“I was panicky because I wasn't ready. I wanted to have him naturally,” she said.</p><p>It wasn't clear that Grayson would be the first baby of the new year. Huennekens said her doctor induced labor at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.</p><p>“It was a long night,” she said.</p><p>Huennekens, a single mother from Belleview, said she learned she would have a son when she was about 18 weeks pregnant.</p><p>She came across the name Grayson in a baby book, and stuck with it because she liked the sound of it.</p><p>Grayson has three older brothers: Cody, 16; Ryan, 12; and Brayden, 2.</p><p>Grayson's birth was the start of a busy New Year's Day at Munroe Regional.</p><p>Within 12 hours of his arrival, a total of six babies, including Grayson, had been delivered at the hospital, spokesman Ryan Gerds said.</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or at bill.thompson@ocala.com</i></p>